Day 1
Introduction to tools, equipment and general workshop practice.

A brief introduction to metallurgy:
* the properties of metals (ductility, malleability, tensile strength, hardness, toughness)
* the standards of metals (karats and alloys)

Demonstrations:
* alloying sterling silver from fine silver and copper
* smelting and pouring into moulds
* annealing
* pickling
* dealing with ‘scrap’

Elemental metal forms:
* sheet
* wire
* tube

Demonstration:
* making sheet from ingot
* making wire from ingot
* roll-printing textures/patterns onto sheet

Exercises:
* making a simple, cast pendant using a primitive casting technique (bronze)
* making a simple pendant from a roll-print sheet (sterling silver or copper)

Day 2
Demonstration:
* design transfer methods
* cutting using shears, guillotine, saw
* drilling/burring using bench drill & flexible shaft (reference to reemers)
* piercing
* filing (edges, curved surface, pierced shape)
* filing with edge of saw blade
* sanding

Exercise:
* pendant/pair of earrings using the piercing technique and filing (sterling silver)

Day 3
Demonstration:
* bending
* drawing wire
* connections i) cold connections (rivets, screws, tabs, adhesives); ii) hot connections (fusing, soldering)
* tube making
* doming

Exercise:
* making a spherical bead on a choker neck wire with a tube ‘clasp’ (sterling silver)

Day 4

Demonstration:
* making jump-rings
* soldering links

Exercise:
* making a simple link-in-link chain (round and oval links) with a shepherd’s hook or toggle clasp (sterling silver, optional semi-precious gemstone beads)

Day 5

Demonstration:
* making of a flat shank
* making a bezel setting
* setting a cabochon stone

Exercise:
* make a flat band ring with a round/oval bezel set cabochon gemstone (sterling silver, semi-precious gem)

You are welcome to stay on later than 5pm to complete any unfinished exercises on the last day.